


At First Well Intentioned

by completelyhopeless



Series: Persuaded Universe [8]
Category: DCU, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Gen, minor crossover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-22
Updated: 2015-05-22
Packaged: 2018-03-31 19:02:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3989218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/completelyhopeless/pseuds/completelyhopeless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Richard decides he needs to go to Lyme. He isn't expecting the reaction he gets from the others.</p>
            </blockquote>





	At First Well Intentioned

**Author's Note:**

> So if you know the story of Persuasion, you know everyone goes to Lyme. I am not trying to copy the book/film exactly, though I've mixed elements of it with DCU (and MCU, since there is a bit of Darcy here) but I think the trip to Lyme is kind of key and introduces new elements that need to come in, so I decided to start down that road.

* * *

“I'm worried about Jason,” Richard admitted, looking at the letter in his hand. “Wally doesn't say it, but I can tell he is, too. I should go see them.”

“That's not just an excuse, is it, kitten?”

Richard frowned, looking over at her. Bruce shook his head, telling him that he did not want to know, and he supposed he didn't, since most of what seemed to be on Selena's mind of late had to do with courtship and things he would rather not think about. He did not want to be reminded of Barbara, and while he found himself liking Darcy and Stephanie, neither of them had managed to root Babs out of his heart, and he couldn't think about being more to anyone when he couldn't let go of Babs. He _wanted_ to, he hated seeing her and knowing all that wasn't between them, but he couldn't make his heart stop feeling. He had tried. He'd tried so many times over the last eight years, and he had thought he had until he came to Kellych hall with his sister and met Babs again.

He grimaced. He'd sworn he wasn't going to call her that, but he kept doing it, and that was no help. He shook his head. “I think I'm going to Lyme. I need to see Jason and I wouldn't mind spending time with Wally, either.”

“We should go with you,” Selena said, and that made Richard frown again.

“We should _not,”_ Bruce said. “You know Jason doesn't want to see me. He still hasn't forgiven me for—we're not going. End of discussion.”

She looked back at him, raising an eyebrow. Richard shook his head, not wanting to get involved in this. He would be. If he went to see Jason, he'd be caught right in the middle because he was still willing to see Bruce, to talk to him, to live with him. Jason wouldn't do any of those things, even after being released from his ship, and he was fortunate Wally made room for him or he might not have anywhere to live. Richard would find himself trying to mend the wound between Jason and Bruce—he always did—and that part would not be pleasant, but he would do it anyway.

He wanted his family back together, even if they were scattered about the country. That didn't mean that they didn't care. They should, they did, and they would remember that someday.

* * *

“I am going to Lyme,” Richard announced, and Barbara's head jerked up as she heard the words. She swallowed, telling herself to stop, not to be a fool. She had no claim on him, and if he left, it would be easier, wouldn't it? She wouldn't have to see him every day, wouldn't have to hear the other girls flirting with him, and she would not have to be reminded of the pain of her choice.

“Lyme? Whatever for?” Pamela asked, her nose wrinkling with distaste. “What would you want to see in Lyme?”

Many things, Barbara thought, since she had wanted to see Lyme since she was a child.

“I'm going to visit friends of mine—brothers, really,” Richard said, smiling fondly as he thought of them. “Wally and his wife just had twins, and I should go talk him out of this idea of Christening one of them with my name, but also there is Jason...”

“Jason?”

Barbara remembered Jason. She knew Richard had worried about him, since the boy could be reckless, sometimes so angry and dangerously so, and it might have been enough to wash him right out of the navy and leave him with nothing. She wanted to ask Richard about him, wanted to know if he was still worried, if Jason had grown and matured in the last few years, but she did not think she should. She didn't want to remind Richard of the past, didn't want to remind herself.

“We should go with you,” Darcy declared, and Barbara looked at her. That girl was bold. She herself would never have dared suggest such a thing—she might have _wanted_ to, but she knew her place and her finances and knew she could not—but Darcy was impetuous and reckless in her own way. If Richard didn't end up marrying her, the girl might well ruin herself and her chances.

“That's a capital idea. Let's all go,” Harvey declared, and Barbara frowned at him, not thinking he was acting at all sane. Richard seemed concerned by it as well, but he forced a smile and let them carry him away with them to make plans.

Barbara tried to tell herself, again, that it was better if he went, even more so if she did not go with him. She didn't know that she would ever believe it, though.


End file.
